Bojo Jinul's seminal work, the Secrets on Cultivating the Mind (Susimkyeol), contains the essential teachings of Zen that everyone eager to liberate all beings should study carefully. It answers many questions that people who learn about Zen find difficult to answer. It shows the actual nature of mind and advises on how to go on from the initial enlightenment.

"Since all dharmas are like dreams or conjuring tricks, deluded thoughts are originally calm and the dusty sense-spheres are originally empty. At the point where all dharmas are empty, the numinous awareness is unobscured. That is, this mind of void and calm, numinous awareness is your original face. It is also the dharma-seal transmitted without a break by all the buddhas of the three time-periods, the successive generations of patriarchs and teachers, and the spiritual advisors of this world. If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence. Returning home, your doubts will be instantly resolved, and you will become the teacher of humans and divinities. Endowed with both compassion and wisdom and fully endowed with the twofold benefit, you will be worthy of receiving the offerings of humans and divinities. Each day you can use ten-thousand taels of gold. If you can do this, you will be a great man who will have indeed finished the tasks of this life."
(Moguja’s Secrets on Cultivating the Mind in Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 2, p. 219)

1Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?2If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.3Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.4With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.

Astus wrote:Bojo Jinul's seminal work, the Secrets on Cultivating the Mind (Susimkyeol), contains the essential teachings of Zen that everyone eager to liberate all beings should study carefully. It answers many questions that people who learn about Zen find difficult to answer. It shows the actual nature of mind and advises on how to go on from the initial enlightenment.

"Since all dharmas are like dreams or conjuring tricks, deluded thoughts are originally calm and the dusty sense-spheres are originally empty. At the point where all dharmas are empty, the numinous awareness is unobscured. That is, this mind of void and calm, numinous awareness is your original face. It is also the dharma-seal transmitted without a break by all the buddhas of the three time-periods, the successive generations of patriarchs and teachers, and the spiritual advisors of this world. If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence. Returning home, your doubts will be instantly resolved, and you will become the teacher of humans and divinities. Endowed with both compassion and wisdom and fully endowed with the twofold benefit, you will be worthy of receiving the offerings of humans and divinities. Each day you can use ten-thousand taels of gold. If you can do this, you will be a great man who will have indeed finished the tasks of this life."
(Moguja’s Secrets on Cultivating the Mind in Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 2, p. 219)

Thank you Astus. I found that a clear and uplifting description of what the essence of Zen is.
I think anyone interested in Zen should read and meditate on it.

1Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?2If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.3Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.4With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.

Astus wrote:"Since all dharmas are like dreams or conjuring tricks, deluded thoughts are originally calm and the dusty sense-spheres are originally empty. At the point where all dharmas are empty, the numinous awareness is unobscured. That is, this mind of void and calm, numinous awareness is your original face. It is also the dharma-seal transmitted without a break by all the buddhas of the three time-periods, the successive generations of patriarchs and teachers, and the spiritual advisors of this world. If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence. Returning home, your doubts will be instantly resolved, and you will become the teacher of humans and divinities. Endowed with both compassion and wisdom and fully endowed with the twofold benefit, you will be worthy of receiving the offerings of humans and divinities. Each day you can use ten-thousand taels of gold. If you can do this, you will be a great man who will have indeed finished the tasks of this life."
(Moguja’s Secrets on Cultivating the Mind in Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 2, p. 219)

Lovely.

Also, a bit of a comment on the the emptiness of the Bhumis perhaps, Astus? How did Chinul otherwise comment on the Bhumis?

If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence.

Gassho, Jundo

Priest/Teacher at Treeleaf Zendo, a Soto Zen Sangha. Treeleaf Zendo was designed as an online practice place for Zen practitioners who cannot easily commute to a Zen Center due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or work, childcare and family needs, and seeks to provide Zazen sittings, retreats, discussion, interaction with a teacher, and all other activities of a Zen Buddhist Sangha, all fully online. The focus is Shikantaza "Just Sitting" Zazen as instructed by the 13th Century Japanese Master, Eihei Dogen. http://www.treeleaf.org

jundo cohen wrote:Also, a bit of a comment on the the emptiness of the Bhumis perhaps, Astus? How did Chinul otherwise comment on the Bhumis?

From Cleary's translation:

"If you can practice this moment to moment, not neglecting to be attentive, seeing to it that concentration and insight are equally sustained, then love and hate will naturally lighten and thin out, while compassion and wisdom will naturally increase in clarity, sinful deeds will naturally end, while meritorious actions will naturally progress."

Jinul accords with the Hwaeom teachings of the first arousal of bodhicitta, the attainment of the first level of faith, includes all the attainments through the entire path of the 52 levels, so in terms of wisdom one is equal to the buddhas, but then one must gradually manifest the buddha qualities until perfection. This goes back to Guifeng Zongmi, who clarified this teaching of sudden enlightenment with gradual cultivation as the meaning.

"As for gradual practice, having suddenly realized fundamental essence, no different from Buddha, beginningless mental habits are hard to get rid of all at once. Therefore one cultivates practice based on enlightenment, gradually cultivating the attainment to perfection, nurturing the embryo of sagehood to maturity. Eventually, after a long time, one becomes a sage; therefore it is called gradual practice. It is like an infant, which has all the normal faculties at birth, but as yet undeveloped; only with the passage of years does it become an adult."

1Myriad dharmas are only mind.
Mind is unobtainable.
What is there to seek?2If the Buddha-Nature is seen,
there will be no seeing of a nature in any thing.3Neither cultivation nor seated meditation —
this is the pure Chan of Tathagata.4With sudden enlightenment to Tathagata Chan,
the six paramitas and myriad means
are complete within that essence.

Priest/Teacher at Treeleaf Zendo, a Soto Zen Sangha. Treeleaf Zendo was designed as an online practice place for Zen practitioners who cannot easily commute to a Zen Center due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or work, childcare and family needs, and seeks to provide Zazen sittings, retreats, discussion, interaction with a teacher, and all other activities of a Zen Buddhist Sangha, all fully online. The focus is Shikantaza "Just Sitting" Zazen as instructed by the 13th Century Japanese Master, Eihei Dogen. http://www.treeleaf.org

Astus wrote:Bojo Jinul's seminal work, the Secrets on Cultivating the Mind (Susimkyeol), contains the essential teachings of Zen that everyone eager to liberate all beings should study carefully. It answers many questions that people who learn about Zen find difficult to answer. It shows the actual nature of mind and advises on how to go on from the initial enlightenment.

"Since all dharmas are like dreams or conjuring tricks, deluded thoughts are originally calm and the dusty sense-spheres are originally empty. At the point where all dharmas are empty, the numinous awareness is unobscured. That is, this mind of void and calm, numinous awareness is your original face. It is also the dharma-seal transmitted without a break by all the buddhas of the three time-periods, the successive generations of patriarchs and teachers, and the spiritual advisors of this world. If you awaken to this mind, then this is truly what is called not climbing the rungs of a ladder: you ascend straight to the stage of buddhahood and each step transcends the three realms of existence. Returning home, your doubts will be instantly resolved, and you will become the teacher of humans and divinities. Endowed with both compassion and wisdom and fully endowed with the twofold benefit, you will be worthy of receiving the offerings of humans and divinities. Each day you can use ten-thousand taels of gold. If you can do this, you will be a great man who will have indeed finished the tasks of this life."
(Moguja’s Secrets on Cultivating the Mind in Collected Works of Korean Buddhism, Vol. 2, p. 219)

Chinul is such a great recent discovery of mine. I am currently sinking my teeth into Tracing Back The Radiance.

Thank you, Astus.

We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all. - Kalu Rinpoche